This project is a short video that explores the emotional connection between food, memory, and home. Through the process of cooking tomato scrambled eggs — a Chinese dish my mother often made for me — I reflect on the feeling of homesickness and love as an international student. This video was inspired by my personal experience of studying abroad and the comfort I find in recreating familiar flavors. The final work was a 3-minute narrative video combining non-linear storytelling, sensory imagery, and minimal dialogue to evoke emotional resonance.
My Role
I was the sole creator, responsible for concept development, filming, editing, and sound design. I used CapCut to edit, and layer asynchronous sound and ambient kitchen noises to express emotion beyond words. I completed the project in April 2025 as part of my Digital Media course assignment, working on it for approximately two weeks from pre-production to post-editing.
Concept & Problem & Goal
This project was motivated by my desire to translate personal emotion into visual form—to capture how something as simple as food can express memory and longing. The core concept was to let sensory experiences tell the story instead of traditional dialogue or linear narration.
My goal was to create an emotionally immersive and visually poetic short film that communicates the feeling of nostalgia through sound, imagery, and pacing rather than exposition.
Design Process
The process began with journaling my memories of home-cooked meals and sketching a visual storyboard centered on everyday kitchen scenes. Early tests focused on lighting and sound to highlight the texture and rhythm of cooking. I experimented with asynchronous sound—recording ambient kitchen noises and overlaying them out of sync—to evoke a sense of emotional distance. The handheld camera and close-up shots of ingredients emphasized intimacy, while the absence of dialogue drew attention to emotional expression.
During editing, I refined the pacing to create slow, reflective moments that mirror memory’s non-linear nature. Challenges included balancing realism with poetic tone and ensuring emotional clarity without explicit narration.
Final Work & Result
The final film, When I Eat Tomato and Egg, portrays the act of cooking as a form of emotional expression, where taste becomes language and silence conveys longing. The project achieved its goal of connecting personal narrative with universal emotion, resonating with audiences who have experienced distance from home or loved ones. Feedback from classmates and instructors highlighted the film’s emotional authenticity and minimalist storytelling.